Health insurance scheme for BPL families under cloud

The implementation of the Rashtriya Swasthya Vima Yojana (RSVY) meant for the families living below the poverty line (BPL) in 12 districts of Orissa is now under a cloud due to the lack of initiative from the district collectors in issuing smart cards for the scheme.

Besides, the non-issue of the smart cards by March 2010 would also mean that the financial assistance of Rs 120 crore already released by the Centre for the scheme, for 2009-10, would lapse.

The 12 districts where RSVY is being implemented are Puri, Nayagarh, Kalahandi, Nuapara, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Raygada, Sambalpur, Sundergarh and Khurda.

Though the Union ministry of labour has agreed to include the 19 lakh odd BPL (below poverty line) families under RSVY as per the 2002 BPL survey, the district collectors are steadfast in their demand for issue of cards as per the BPL survey list of 2009 which is yet to be prepared.

The Union labour ministry has even agreed to accommodate additional BPL families under the scheme in these 12 districts who have not been included in the BPL survey list for 2002.

Interestingly, the insistence of the district collectors on the 2009 BPL survey list for issue of the smart cards is as per a circular issued last month by the Orissa government.

According to the circular, the district collectors were instructed to adhere to the 2009 BPL survey list for issue of the smart cards. So far, 40,000 families in Kalhandi district and 30,000 families in Nayagarh district have been issued the smart cards to facilitate the implementation of RSVY. However, uncertainty over the issue of smart cards for the remaining families has cast doubts on the implementation of the scheme.

As per the original plan, the implementation of RSVY in Orissa was scheduled to commence from 2008-09 and get completed in 2012-13.

The New India Assurance Company has been selected by the state government through an open tender, to implement the scheme.

Under this scheme, the BPL families in 12 districts of Orissa will be eligible for health insurance cover up to Rs 30,000 per annum. Such families will have to contribute Rs 30 as registration charge every year.

Smart cards will be issued to the beneficiaries, which can be used for availing the treatment in large number of listed government and private hospitals. Besides, Rs 100 will be provided as transport cost to the beneficiaries who leave hospitals after treatment.

The insurance premium will be shared between the Union government and the state government in the ratio of 75: 25, sources said